Body-held monitoring device for physical condition

ABSTRACT

A body-held monitoring device monitors a physical condition and/or a performance condition. A plurality of transducers (3-6) each measure various quantities indicating a physical condition and/or a performance condition. The plurality of transducers includes a multiple detector transducer (4-6) designed by a film technique. The transducers are monitored by means of a microprocessor (9) that provides information indicating the physical condition and/or performance condition of a monitored person in such a manner that a comparison of a plurality of different transducer signals is used to compensate for an anomaly from an individual transducer. A body-held transducer unit (1) has a skin-contacting surface carrying at least some of the transducers, and a wrist-held display and detector unit (2) displays the information indicating a physical condition and/or performance condition by means of a display and/or a sound signal.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a body-held monitoring device forindependently observing the physical condition and/or performancecondition of a person by means of motoric activity, moisture of theskin, electric conductivity of the skin, surface temperature and heartrate. The anomalous condition data is displayed locally or transmittedby a prior known wireless technique to a remote receiver, which sets offa local alarm and transmits it by a prior known technique to an alarmcenter. The local display can also be used for monitoring theperformance condition of a person regardless of whether anythingabnormal has occurred. In this context, the performance conditionrelates to a condition resulting from physical and mental stress, whichis measurable as chemical and physical changes caused by the sympatheticnervous system (e.g. a stress condition).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A body-held device, capable of the independent and on-line surveillanceof a physical condition/performance condition by means of a plurality(placed in various locations) of transducers in such a manner that theuser him- or herself is able to monitor his or her condition, is not yetin sight. Traditionally, the surveillance has been effected by means ofheart rate or some other biophysical indicator and, thus, it has notbeen possible for the user alone to create a general description ofphysical condition in such a manner that motoric activity and/orbiophysical changes in the skin are taken into consideration. It is alsoprior known to measure a physical condition from the wrist in such amanner that an alarm is automatically transmitted in an abnormalcondition, but a problem is how to provide an accurate description forthe user him- or herself as well as the surveillance level limited by alow current consumption. It is also prior known to measure the intensityof a human stress by means of a biophysical indicator, but the problemhas been the narrowness of an image produced by just a single indicatorand, thus, producing a reliable image has required limited measuringconditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a body-held device, which theuser wears continuously for example around the chest, ankle or someother body member suitable for measuring and which monitors a physicalcondition/performance condition continuously and delivers to its userlocally, e.g. by way of a wrist-held display and detector unit,information about a physical or performance condition in such a mannerthat the user also receives information about an anomalous conditioneither through a sound signal and/or the display of a wrist unit. Analarm indicating an abnormal condition can also be transmitted in awireless fashion by using either an emergency phone or a publicradiophone network in such a manner that the alarm is provided withlocation information by using available satellite locating systems.Another object of the invention is to create a device, whereby the userreceives information about his or her performance condition, e.g. astress condition, and is able to change his or her attitude or conditionon the basis of the information and to focus his or her energy on propermatters since, according to research results, people get nervous orexpend their energy unknowingly on second-rate matters.

These objects are achieved on the basis of the characterizing featuresset forth in the appended claims.

For example, a belt to be worn around the chest monitors the user'sphysical condition on the basis of sensors or transducers includedtherein and, in the presence of an abnormal or unfavourable condition,produces just a sound signal and/or transmits the message further to awrist-held monitor used for delivering numerical or graphic data to theuser. If the device is provided with a wireless remote communication, analarm indicating a hazardous condition can also be forwarded with priorknown technology automatically to an alarm center. The user him- orherself can also induce a manual alarm by means of a press key providedfor the purpose. The transducers can also be located in such a mannerthat some of the transducers are included in the wrist unit and some inthe belt worn around the chest, whereby the wrist unit transmits ananomalous message to the unit held around the chest, which analyzes thereceived information together with information provided by its owntransducers and sets off an alarm or a sound signal thereabout and, ifnecessary, carries it forward in a wireless fashion. The feasibletransducers include movement transducers such as accelerationtransducers, temperature, conductivity transducers or sensors and priorknown heart rate detecting techniques. A stripped-down wrist unit can beused for providing a mere stress indicator, which informs its user by asound signal and/or a display. In this case, the transducer comprises amultiple transducer, designed by using the film technology and havingmovement, temperature and conductivity transducers polymerized orplasma-sputtered therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference madeto the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows a wrist-held display and detector unit and the design of amultiple detector transducer included therein; and

FIG. 2 shows a general block diagram for a device of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A device of the invention only includes a detector and transducer unit 1fastenable to some part of the body and/or a wrist-held display anddetector unit 2. The body-held detector and transducer unit 1 mayinclude a heart rate detector 3 and/or a movement transducer 4 such asan acceleration transducer, temperature transducer 5 and a conductivitytransducer 6, which are in contact with the skin of a user. Thetransducer unit 1 may include a belt 8 to be worn around the chest. Thewrist unit 2 may include just a display and sound signal device as wellas a communication unit for a wireless communication with the transducerunit 1. The wrist unit 2 can also be provided with some of thetransducers 3-6 in view of performing some of the necessary analysis.The wrist unit 1 may include e.g. all transducers required for thesurveillance of performance condition and, thus, its operation can beconcentrated on a user. In the illustrated case, the wrist unit 1 hasits back face fitted with flexible polyester films, in which transducersare made by polymerization or plasmasputtering. A film 4a serves as asemiconducting coating for a movement transducer, a film 4b as aconducting coating for a movement transducer, and the top layer is afilm including a temperature transducer 5 and a skin conductivitytransducer 6. A remote receiver 7 includes a wireless receiver and acontrol output for the further transmission of an alarm.

The transducers 3-6 are monitored by means of a microprocessor 9, whichuses its algorithm to provide a description of the health or physicalcondition and/or performance condition of a user by using a plurality ofdifferent transducer signals to compensate for false data caused by anindividual transducer. A characterizing feature in the signal processingis that it takes into consideration a combined effect of the motoricactivity and biophysical indicators as well as the heart rate of a userwhen producing a description of the physical condition of a user. Thatis, by monitoring the interrelations between various indicators and bycompensating the anomalies caused by various performance conditions of abody in the analyzing process, it is possible to provide a substantiallymore reliable description than that obtained by traditional methods.Typically, it has been customary to monitor e.g. just the heart rate andto detect anomalies occurring therein. The analyzing process of theinvention is capable of detecting whether a higher heart rate resultsfrom motoric activity or e.g. from a sudden attack of illness with nomotoric activity observed. Another characterizing feature is theidentification of successive manifestations of various motoricactivities, whereby e.g. falling down and the following unconsciousnesscan be detected by means of a movement or acceleration transducer aswell as by the observation of heart rate. When the device is only usedfor monitoring the level of performance condition (e.g. stress), anerror caused by motoric activity can be compensated for and, thus, thedevice can be used continuously notwithstanding the physical performancelevel.

The multiple transducer 4-6 used as a transducer is also acharacterizing feature in the invention. It includes a polymerized orplasma-sputtered movement, temperature and conductivity transducerdesigned by a film technique on the surface of the transducer unit 1whenever the wrist unit 2 is not in operation or when the wrist unit 2only functions as a display and detector unit.

I claim:
 1. A body-held monitoring device for a physical condition and/or a performance condition, comprising:a plurality of transducers each measuring various quantities indicating a physical condition and/or a performance condition, the plurality of transducers including a multiple detector transducer designed by a film technique; wherein the transducers are monitored by means of a microprocessor that provides information indicating the physical condition and/or performance condition of a monitored person in such a manner that a comparison of a plurality of different transducer signals is used to compensate for an anomaly from an individual transducer; a body-held transducer unit having a skin-contacting surface carrying at least some of the transducers; and a wrist-held display and detector unit from which the information indicating a physical condition and/or performance condition is obtainable by means of a display and/or a sound signal.
 2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the multiple detector transducer is provided with polymerized or plasma-sputtered temperature and skin conductivity transducers.
 3. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the microprocessor for processing the transducer signals is included in the body-held transducer unit.
 4. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the transducer unit is provided with a two-way wireless communication link with the wrist-held display and detector unit.
 5. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is set for continuous surveillance of a performance condition, the information indicating a performance condition being obtainable from the display and detector unit continuously or whenever desired.
 6. A body-held monitoring device for a physical condition and/or a performance condition, comprising:a plurality of transducers each measuring various quantities indicating a physical condition and/or a performance condition, the plurality of transducers including a multiple detector transducer designed by a film technique; a body-held transducer unit fastenable to the body and having a skin-contacting surface carrying at least some of the plurality of transducers; a microprocessor that provides information indicating the physical condition and/or performance condition of a monitored person in such a manner that a comparison of a plurality of different transducer signals is used to compensate for an anomaly from an individual transducer; and a display and detector unit in wireless communication with the transducer unit and from which the information indicating a physical condition and/or a performance condition is obtainable by means of a display and/or a sound signal.
 7. A device as set forth in claim 6, wherein the display and detector unit is a wrist-held unit including at least one of the plurality of transducers and is provided with a two-way wireless communication link with the transducer unit. 